Unseen and Art Rotterdam join forces starting in 2026 The photography fair will be featured as part of Art Rotterdam
The thirteenth edition of Unseen, now part of Art Rotterdam, will take place at the end of March 2026 — and not, as previously announced, this coming September at Amsterdam's NDSM Loods. Unseen and Art Rotterdam are joining forces and are currently preparing for their first joint edition, scheduled to take place from March 26 to 29, 2026, at Rotterdam Ahoy. Like Art Rotterdam 2025, this combined edition will cover an area of 14,000 m².
In recent years, Unseen has been confronted with a diminishing role of photography within gallery programs and a declining number of galleries exclusively focused on photography. The strategic alliance with Art Rotterdam opens new doors for Unseen: a compact, carefully curated and sharply focused selection of photography within a broader contemporary art context.
Art Rotterdam, widely praised as an experiential fair with a variety of sections under one roof — including video art, sculptures, and large-scale installations — will become even more diverse and appealing to a young and international audience through the addition of a strong photography section.
A stronger platform for photography
Fons Hof, director of Art Rotterdam and Unseen Amsterdam:
"Especially in a time when the photography market is facing challenges, the integration of Unseen into Art Rotterdam offers a unique opportunity for renewal. This creates a more powerful platform that strengthens photography as an essential voice within contemporary art."
Benefits of the new joint setup
In addition to benefiting from Art Rotterdam's visitor flows and promotional efforts, Unseen will maintain its focus on international collectors, curators, and photography professionals. In collaboration with the fair's curators, Unseen is developing several special programs. The reopening of the Dutch Photo Museum in the iconic Santos warehouse in Rotterdam will play a prominent role in this context.
Moreover, Unseen's social media channels (92,000 Instagram followers) will remain exclusively focused on photography presentations. This ensures additional exposure for the selected Unseen works during Art Rotterdam. The strategic merger offers photographic talent a broader platform.
Unseen's unique identity and mission — to discover and support emerging photographic talent — will remain central and will be further sharpened within the multidisciplinary framework of Art Rotterdam.
Unseen Book Market
At present, the organization is exploring in what form the much-loved Book Market component can also relocate to Rotterdam. Discussions are ongoing with various partners about a suitable venue in the city.
